Árdís - 01.01.1956, Side 16

14
ÁRDÍS
Port of Spain is the capital of Trinidad and is situated on the
Gulf of Paria. It lies 700 miles north of the equator. It has a
population of 120,000 people. The business section is on a flat area
bordering the gulf and is surrounded by hills and valleys in which
the residental district is located.
As a whole, the city is clean; this is partly due to the excellent
drainage system. Because of the heavy rains during the wet season,
the city is constructed with a network of drains. The water from
smaller drains flows into larger ones that are like canals, and are
called “dry rivers”, which enable the water to flow back to the sea.
After a torrential rain the streets are flooded for a short period.
Though the rain is heavy, it usually lasts a very short while and
days are seldom overcast.
The streets in the downtown section are very narrow and
crowded with beggars, donkey carts and native taxis. There, too,
one can see East Indian women wearing brightly colored shawls
from their native land. The stores in Port of Spain are quaint and
old and only one or two are modern, although they have improved
considerably in the last five years. There is a rum factory and an
Angostura Bitters factory. Angostura Bitters are used for cocktails
and food seasoning. They are prepared nowhere outside of Trinidad.
A father and son jealously guard the secret formula. Imports are
mainly from Europe as the exchange rates on American and
Canadian goods are prohibitive.
There are movie theatres and many clubs sponsored by different
nationalities.
In the centre of Port of Spain is a huge savannah, called Queen’s
Park, covering 200 acres of green lawn. Most of Port of Spain’s
public life revolves around the park, with its race track, cricket
pitches, rugby fields and walks. Government house and other large
buildings overlook the Savannah. Close by are the famous Botanical
Gardens, where one could spend many hours. The sight that shall
always stand out in my mind was that of the huge trees with their
immense blossoms, so different from our trees with their inconspicu-
ous flowers. Here too is where the Carnival is held, which is the
biggest event of the year—the Mardi Gras of Trinidad.
The Carnival takes place on Monday and Tuesday preceding
Ash Wednesday in February. All business in the city closes down.